Happy New Years

2013--wow--doesn't that date sound weird?

for all our advances since 1985--we're not gonna get here
in before 2015!

We're living in a time that not only the Mayans couldn't predict, even "Back to the Future" missed the mark in 1985 when they anticipated a 2015 that would have highways in the skies, awful fashion trends, and a host of other misses that we're not likely to see develop in the next 2 years.

As we prepare to turn the calendar from 2012 to 2013, we are preparing to celebrate two special anniversaries...

1st - on the 1st, Keli and I celebrate our 19th Wedding Anniversary.  Nineteen years ago, some of you may remember, I was one sick kid--high fever and sweats produced the groom that only the "Walking Dead" could be proud of--pale skin, oily hair, fever blister, swollen eyes that led to me pulling out an old prescription pair of eyeglasses from high school days.  Keli, looking as radiant as imaginable, still came down the aisle.  Our wedding album is viewed only for laughs, and not for the faint of heart!

On January 7, Orthodox or Coptic Christmas, our family celebrates 1 year of arriving to live in Egypt and serve the Europe/Middle East Region.  We're so thankful for all who have had a part in not only helping us make that transition, but who also continue to encourage and support us in prayers, emails, and finances.  We are blessed by such a large network of caring support.

As we look forward to 2013, here are a couple of things that we're expecting...

we're looking forward to
seeing more of the above

• Travel: right away, Keli will travel to Beirut in January to have her first encounter of meeting and experiencing various ministries in Lebanon.  Ken will fly back to the US at the end of February/beginning of March for the annual Heart for Lebanon Board of Directors meeting, and to do some church visits--and to drop in on family, too.  Grace will have a "Week Without Walls" in Tanzania in March as a part of her school's requirements.  There's also the possibility of some service in Europe by summer, and we hope to have a vacation this summer outside of Egypt--we don't know where yet, but it will be on this side of the Atlantic.

Manning's "2012 roller-coaster" will
become a "reunion tour" in 2013 with
trips to see his brother, his nemesis, &
his old home.

• Sports: The boys are watching football as often as they can right now, biding their time until the BCS National Championship game between Alabama and Notre Dame--each are their two favorite teams, so they have a vested interest in the outcome.  Titus is also excited about the NFL playoffs--Colts and Peyton Manning return to the postseason, and could be on a collision course to play each other.  (If you're not a Peyton Manning fan, don't watch any primetime NFL next year--Broncos will visit New England, the New York Giants, and Indianapolis in 2013!)  Grace has made the Junior Varsity basketball team, and she will have a few games in the next few months.  She is also be encouraged to pick between either softball or the Junior Varsity soccer team.  Titus will return to Rugby for the rest of the school year.  And, I may attempt to swing a golf club again--it's been nearly 2 years!!!

CCF's Christmas Cantata on 12-30 

• Ministry: We are hopeful for creating some new ministries for children and young adults here in Cairo.  We hope to get more involved with the national Egyptian congregations, and we are excited for the Lebanese and Europe opportunities.  As the family becomes more stable in their new home, and if Egypt can become increasingly stable, then we can expect to do more and more.  Perhaps we can even schedule a work group to come in the summer of 2013...

Of course, all of the above and our unspoken hopes are all "Inshallah" -- that is, "if the Lord wills".  This often, perhaps too often, used phrase here in the Middle East is appropriate as we look forward to the next year.  We have no certainties in this life a part from the Grace of God.  Live within each moment knowing it may be the last before being ushered into eternity--live with grace, mercy, and peace within all your decisions and relationships--and may His peace rule your heart and mind in the process from one day to the next.

  

Bridge the Gaps

The title of this post is a summary of a US State Department statement regarding the role President Mohammed Morsi now faces with a new Constitution and reinstated upper house of Parliament.

Morsi will have to begin within in his own cabinet--several advisors and participants within his administration resigned within the last month since he awarded himself sweeping powers that led to national demonstrations.  The self-awarded powers are now revoked with the passing of the new Constitution, with legislative powers now passing from himself to the reinstated Shura Council (see video clip from Al Jazeera)...





Though roughly 64% of those voting for the Constitution were in favor, the fact remains that very few of the population were willing to vote.  Estimates of 32-33% of the eligible voters voted on a Constitution that now governs 100% of the population.  Why such low turnout?  There are several possible factors:

• Though the opposition coalition eventually encouraged those demonstrating to vote "no", many opposition groups had been planning to boycott the referendum as a statement of its illegitimacy. 

• There was doubt in the legitimacy of the voting process: democracy is still a new concept and many have not fully believed in its merits, while others doubt that the process is free from fraud and corruption.  There were dozens of reports of fraud and corruption rumored and tweeted throughout the days of voting, from people impersonating judges overseeing polling places, to Christians being prevented from voting in polling stations, to Christians being prevented from leaving their homes,  to harassment in voting lines, to names not appearing on eligible voter lists, and even to one case of a man filling out many ballots and then biting the police officer who attempted to arrest him!  (The elections commission received, investigated and ruled on dozens of complaints and irregularities before announcing the results.)

A line of voters in the Constitution referendum
(photo by Namir Galal, on Egypt Independent)

• The process does not favor the elderly or disabled: long lines and longer waits made it difficult for many elderly voters to even make the attempt; polling places are not necessarily handicap-friendly, which was a problem reported in the Presidential and Parliamentary phases--with so little that has changed since those elections, many handicap voters perhaps gave up.  Additionally, there were legitimate safety concerns; with reports of violence or clashes between voters, near voters, and even against voters in line, some did not want to risk physical harm;

• And, there are several who are simply sick of the politics, the debates, the demonstrations--they're tired of nothing changing and have given up.  Blogger and activist Mahmoud Salem (aka, Sandmonkey), presents this point in describing Mohamed in a recent post (i cannot say whether or not Mohamed is real, based on reality, or fiction): "Mohamed was one of those 68% that didn’t go vote. He is a government employee by day, and a Taxi driver by night, who spends every waking minute of his day trying to provide for his wife, 3 children and sick mother. Mohamed didn’t vote. Mohamed didn’t vote because he didn’t think it mattered, and that no matter what he chooses the outcome will be Yes anyway. Mohamed didn’t vote, because like all of his friends and neighbors, he has become disgusted with the tug of war between the secularists and the Islamists, and how all they care about is power, even if it means pulling the country into a civil war. Mohamed didn’t vote because he knows that neither side cares about him or his family, despite what they always say in their speeches, before and after the revolution. Mohamed didn’t vote because all the hope he had at the beginning of the revolution was gone, replaced with bitterness and anger, and he would rather spend the time scouring the streets of Cairo for a fare that might help him cover his ever increasing expenses. What good is a constitution to a bunch of hungry mouths anyway?"

President Morsi will have to attempt to bridge the gaps with "the opposition" under the umbrella of the National Salvation front.  President Morsi is requesting another national dialogue--the former one on the eve of the second round of Constitution voting--and the NSF should make an attempt to be at the table.  Appointed leader of the NSF during the demonstrations was Mohamed El-Baradei who has said that the now passed Constitution should be viewed as an interim document and that future effort should be placed upon eventually adopting a new Constitution built upon greater consensus.  Of course, President Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood, and the other Islamist groups will not see it this way, but the NSF has to start demonstrating a willingness to be a serious, democratic political player and not just advocating revolution in the streets if they want to be taken seriously internationally.  There are not likely to be many bridges built between the two groups--but there are greater opportunities to build bridges in dialogue than through demonstration, and this will also set an important example for a future that settles things reasonably rather than with rocks.

President Morsi may also have to attempt to bridge gaps with other Islamist groups.  Now that the Constitution is passed, the "battle" for Parliament seats will soon begin.  President Morsi will need to not look like "the enemy" of to these groups as they challenge the Freedom and Justice Party (Muslim Brotherhood) for majority of seats in the new Parliament.  At this point, there is some discussion among the Islamist parties, including FJP, to running together to thwart the National Salvation Front's preparation for Parliament elections.

President Morsi will need to bridge the gaps with the international leaders.  Egypt's economy is in need of support, and that seemed to dwindle over the past several months while he gave himself power and allowed the Constitution to be quickly drafted and then passed.  Germany had made a statement that they would be hesitant to provide financial support, but encouraged Morsi to visit in the future; this report says that Morsi will visit Germany in January.

Meanwhile, while Morsi and his administration attempt to bridge all these gaps, there is a country full of people facing garbage, traffic, pollution, and a host of other problems.  Taxes that were set to increase during the past month of protest, and then were lifted at the "eleventh hour", are rumored to be increased soon.  Though the increased taxes are prepared to increase revenue, will the revenue be applied appropriately and strategically to decrease these problems?  If taxes do go up, and no changes are seen in the daily life of the majority of Egyptians who did not vote for the Constitution, bridging political gaps will be the least of President Morsi's concerns.

Christmas Letter

Merry Christmas from Cairo!

Hello all...

We are so blessed to be celebrating Christmas this year in such an amazing place--a place we could only dream about a couple years ago, and a place we never could have dreamed 5 years ago!  We are here because many of you agreed with us that this is where we're supposed to be to serve--in your agreement, you prayed with us, encouraged us, sacrificed and gave for us--your continuing interest and prayers bless us.  And, because you have given, you give to others through us--whether in word or deed, your gift continues in the service that we're beginning to offer into this region, one life at a time.

We finished the school year with soccer tournaments, and impromptu school Christmas parties.  Grace finished her first round of High School exams, and then had a girls night to celebrate before all her friends scattered through the planet to visit their families.  Zeke and some friends made a silly "Christmas Style" dance for their school's last chapel before Christmas; Keli caught it on camera and uploaded to YouTube (Zeke's in the back middle in the Santa hat):


We are celebrating Christmas morning with carols played through our iPods.  There's not the over-commercialization of Christmas here and so it's easy to keep it quite simple--but in doing so, it's easy to miss the little things that you kind of take for granted back home.  Titus missed Grandma's cookies; though we got recipes and made our own cookies (as we do every year), we couldn't find food coloring for decorating with different colors of frosting, nor could we find any red or green sprinkles.

We didn't decorate as much as in years past, simply because we don't have all the decorations we used to have--we didn't bring many with us--and this is a huge house and property to attempt to decorate inside and out.  Perhaps we can collect more and more through the years to increase the decorations inside and outside the property.  There was a fake-tree in storage, and we managed to find a few stores with decorations and lights.  We filled our door with Christmas cards received from Liberty Street Church in West Virginia, and we hung the stockings we brought from home.

CCF Bazaar (lunch and vendors--proceeds benefit
multiple benevolence projects in Cairo)

CCF & St. Andrews combined Candlelight Service

Worship this Christmas season was wonderful.  We celebrated with the CCF in regular weekly services with Advent themes, and meditations inspired by different Christmas carols.  We also had several special events with the CCF, too; a Christmas bazaar and lunch last Friday, and a Candlelight service with St. Andrews United Church on the 23rd.  The Candlelight service had a lot of participants, including Keli opening with the Advent reading and lighting of the Christ Candle, the boys taking offering, and Grace playing "Go Tell It On the Mountain" on saxophone for the offertory.  Most Candlelight services take place on Christmas Eve--Titus called the 23rd the "Christmas Adam" service, because "Adam came before Eve"!

Grace and I attended the Maadi Community Church Christmas Eve service last night; I will return to St. Andrews United Church to share their meditation on December 28 as a part of ongoing service to their congregation while they are still without a pastor.  The CCF have an upcoming Christmas Choral Cantata on the 30th--that may sound a bit late for a Christmas program, but it's actually right between Western Christmas on the 25th and Eastern/Orthodox Christmas on January 7.

 

Shopping is much more of a chore without all those Christmas sales at the super-stores like Walmart and Target where you can get nearly everything in one place.  We didn't place a lot of gifts under the tree this year, but continued to have a main gift and a loaded stocking (this year full of US snacks that don't get to regularly enjoy here).  The kids were disappointed that they didn't have a chance to shop for each other, and since we still wanted to find some new Christmas pajamas (another of our family's traditions), we drove out to City Stars mall on Christmas Eve to make the attempt.

Grace complained that she had not been able to sleep in since Christmas break had begun, so we said that we would wait till waking her up until 8:42 -- but Zeke couldn't wake up either, so we waited until 9:30.  In my family of origin, no one could get to the presents until mom had her coffee--a tradition I have gladly continued.  But this year, we began this morning not just with coffee, but with a special prayer for the families in Newton, Connecticut.  Grace asked why are we praying now since the event was so "long ago"--we reminded the kids that today will be a painful Christmas morning for parents, brothers, and sisters; they won't be eager and waking up with smiles, but there will be a deep sadness felt, and so we pray for their comfort and count our blessings at the same time.

Christmas breakfast for us in the States usually involved oven-baked cinnamon rolls--despite all the baking we've been doing these past few weeks, we turned to Cinnabon to help with that :), and a side of bacon (which is a huge rarity and delicacy due to price and Muslim restrictions on eating pork here).

We, of course, miss our family and will attempt to Skype with both sets of them later this evening/their morning.  While each of our families gather together, we were especially glad to hear that our parents got together in Alabama Saturday--it's such a blessing to see our parents developing a growing friendship with each other while we are away.

As we get to January 7 (Coptic Christmas), we will also be celebrating 1 year in Cairo!

Wow--what a year!

The kids have done amazingly in their adjustment to metropolitan and Middle Eastern life.  They are daily challenged by their international peers and all the cultural diversity--they may not see it, but we can tell that they are growing so much in their expanded world-views and appreciation for diversity.  This whole experience has been a test of their faith and strength--we believe that they're going to amazing for it as the years continue.

By way of health, we're all blessed with good health.  Occasional colds for each of us; Keli's feet have recovered from the bad burns suffered in November.

By way of safety, we've been kept safe through all the continual ups and downs that is Egypt these days.  The most hazardous activity may be in driving; I've now had 2 accidents in the past month--I backed into a taxi's fender on a crowded street, and I had the front corner of the bumper taken off while trying to squeeze into a busy street.  The former cost us about $40 to repair (no insurance, just pay to the driver and settle things on the street); the latter is apparently a repeat issue for this bumper and I think I actually reattached it better than it had been before--though it shows the scars of the accident.  Such is life...

The political situation throughout Egypt is still an uncertainty.  While Christianity faces decline and persecution throughout the Middle East, we are reminded again and again of just how unique Egypt is as a nation with an Islamic majority.  The first person to wish us a "Merry Christmas" this month was our favorite taxi driver--who is Muslim; and, he even called us last night just to extend that greeting to us again.  Christianity and Islam have survived side-by-side here in Egypt for centuries--a fact that has often led to disdain from other Muslim nations in years past.  The current political crisis and deepening divide between "secular or moderate" Muslims and the "Islamist" groups in "majority" threaten that coexistence and the possibilities for dialogue within this country and beyond.  We continue to believe that these are critical times, not just for a country attempting to develop a democracy, but for the Hope of the Gospel that first came to this land within the first century--a land that received and provided refuge for the Christ-child and Holy Family within His first years.

As we roll into 2013, Keli and I will celebrate our 19th Anniversary!  To celebrate, I'm sending Keli to Lebanon ;)  She will go in the beginning of January to meet with a pastor's wife there and see some of the Lebanese ministries for herself.  We look forward to posting some good pictures and reflections from that trip.

Well, we're thankful for all of you who regularly read or occasionally check-in to see what's new.  Thank you for your interest and your continuing prayers on our behalf, as well as for the churches, believers, and nations we're attempting to serve.

May the Lord bless you all with His perfect peace and abounding joy.

Immanuel, Hallelujah!

What's Next for Egypt?

One of many great pictures at this Al Jazeera "controversy in pictures"
with informative captions (this pic by Mosaab Elshamy).

"What's Next?"

That's the question lingering in the air today as the second round of voting begins to complete the 2-stage process to ratify a controversial Constitution that has left the country divided since it's rushed approval by the Constituent Assembly at the end of November.

The Constitution draft is likely to pass today.  Despite what some are expecting low voter turnout in the voting governates slated for today, the margin of victory by some estimates will the same as the unofficial results of the previous round last Saturday, which was 57% in favor of the Constitution.

The opposition forces, mostly coalesced into a group known now as the National Salvation Front, have been vocal in their mass demonstrations since President Morsi took sweeping powers that allowed the Constituent Assembly to rush their draft through in 1 final 20 hour session.  Yet, those vocal and passionate demonstrations did not find their way to the ballot boxes; the "unity" of the NSF divided on whether to vote "no" or to boycott the referendum--even with all of the opposition voting "no", it would likely have been a very close vote.

Now, the opposition seems to be losing steam.  Formerly passionate and vocal young revolutionaries who tweeted and posted through social networking sites of their determination to see this "regime" toppled like the former one (Mubarak), now seem pessimistic and resigned in their tweets and posts.  Some used the Mayan end of the world prophecies as a joke, stating "the Mayan's predicted the world would end on Dec. 21; the 2nd vote on the Constitution is on the 22nd--coincidence of divine mercy?"

Some of the revolutionary voices have wondered out loud whether they would continue to protest, or  continue to seek hope in political process, or would they just move.

Some in the west are asking, "Why didn't more Egyptians show up at the polls and vote 'no'?"

In the minds of the opposition, the vote on this Constitution draft should never have taken place--not like this.  President Morsi interrupted the anticipated dissolution of a controversial Constituent Assembly that had seen Christian and secular voices resigning from their minority opinions under protest of marginalization by the Islamist parties--when President Morsi put his authority over the courts, the Constituent Assembly returned to work and quickly voted through a draft that many people had been publicly debating and finding fault with for weeks.

The draft, in the eyes of many, seemed to large--at times repetitive, and at other times contradictory.  There was much that was carried over from the previous Constitution, and new elements that raised a lot of questions.

The Constituent Assembly rushed this draft through without external debate on these issues; after the first round of voting and an unofficial clear lead in the ballot box, the Constituent Assembly invited opposition leaders for debate on the draft on Friday (one day before the concluding vote).  This was not met favorably by the opposition leaders, nor by opponents of the Constitution.  Many expressed the thought, "What's the point of debate on the draft now?"

Many opposition voices had been calling for debates while still in the drafting process.  Prior to the Constituent Assembly's final meeting and the President's declaration that gave himself sweeping powers, many opposing voices asked for an open process of debate and eventual ratification on the draft, including:

• debates on various articles--a process that would have required a review period longer than the 15 day minimum from presentation to referendum that was implemented;
• multiple referendums so that the Constitution would be approved in pieces and not as a whole entity to discover where problem issues were within the proposal; and,
• approval by two-thirds or three-fourths rather than simple majority to ensure consensus in a diverse society.

All these and more were simply good ideas that were never given the chance.  

The minority voices in the Constituent Assembly felt their opinions were marginalized in the same way--and that's why many of them resigned even before President Morsi's declaration.  Several of the President Morsi's own staff and advisors felt they were not given the opportunity to comment or contribute to his decision making process that led to his "power grab", and so they resigned in the wake  of that decision.  Egyptian diplomats in embassies around the globe originally protested overseeing the expat voting due to the division and violence back home and did not want to be a party to increase such division.  

But the referendum was not altered and continued to push forward, through last Saturday and into today.

Protests have become increasingly violent and tense this past week--this after forensic reports indicated that live ammunition killed some of the demonstrators on December 5 when pro-Mori/pro-Constitution supporters burst through the sit-in at the Presidential Palace.  Security forces were necessary to separate demonstrators in Alexandria, as seen in this video clip:

According to this report, fighting even broke out in one mosque during Friday's sermon.

So then, violence have spread from isolated clashes amidst demonstrations and into places of worship.  What's Next?

What's Next when the Constitution is passed in the ballot box today and still opposed on the streets tomorrow?

What's Next when the new Constitution is attempted to be implemented from the Presidency to the Parliament to the Police to the People?

What's Next for Egypt?

We'll be here to see and report, as well as to serve those here as we have opportunity.  Thanks for your continued thoughts, interest and prayers...

Constitution Referendum Part 1 Report

On Saturday, December 15, Egyptians went to the polls to vote on the proposed Constitution.  As previously cited throughout the blog, this vote has been looming with much controversy since the announcement by President Morsi on December 1st, days after the embattled/questionable Constituent Assembly rushed the draft into proposal in a nearly 20 hour meeting.



The voting on Saturday, December 15 was merely round 1 of the controversial and pivotal document.  The vote had to be split because the vast majority of the Judiciary refused to oversee the voting on the referendum; rather than listen to the Judiciary's objections, President Morsi is employing the non-boycotting judges in a 2-day process.  The second round of voting will take place this Saturday, December 22.  This was one of several reasons of concern by outside groups.

 voters dip their finger in ink, and place their fingerprint inside the appropriate circle to indicate their vote.
(photo by Mahmoud Khaled, as appeared on
Egypt Independent website)

The reports in newspapers and through Twitter this past Saturday were of long, slow-moving lines.  There were reports of clashes outside of polling places, as well as fraud or discouraging behavior by officials.  The preliminary reports of the vote were that the "YES", or "in favor" of the proposed constitution, received between 55-57% of the round 1 votes; this is not "official" and official reports will not be released until the completion of the 2nd round voting so as not to "influence" the round 2 voting.

The percentages don't tell the whole story.  An often "retweeted" report came to us and I share the link of this report compiled from data by Ikhwan website; in their report, they have this informative graphic:

Note the lower right box observation--this is precisely why a "majority win" in the election of President Morsi, or potentially in affirming the Constitution is so hotly contested, debated, and protested.  Though given the opportunity to vote, the turnout is so disproportionately low compared to the population; rather than speaking through the ballot box,  they're instead taking to the streets.  Such low turnout will only continue to lead to demonstrations despite the desire for democracy.

Headlines, tweets, and cries of "fraud" rang out on Sunday; counter accusations were made against the opposition saying there were just "poor losers" who "don't understand democracy".

Yet, the voices in the reported majority, like the Freedom and Justice Party (the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood) were still on the offensive, accusing churches of mobilizing their parishioners to vote "NO" on the referendum.  This may be to counter the accusations and complaints filed against imams throughout the country who accusers say were directing their members of how to vote, despite government warnings.  There was a story of an angry mob keeping an imam penned in his mosque in Alexandria--there were followup reports that such mobs were being investigated, but I have not yet read any reports of investigations into Christian preachers or Muslim imams directing votes.

The first round of voting has ended, but the protesting and demonstrations are still continuing.  The National Salvation Front, a leading voice of the various opposition groups, is calling for a demonstration against all the voter fraud on Tuesday (tomorrow).  Perhaps a more troubling sign is the lack of confidence international observers and would-be investors have of the process, Presidency, and ongoing turmoil.  A troubling headline today read that German government officials were postponing debt relief citing fears of a new dictatorship in Egypt--the headline has been retracted in the past hour and replaced with "Germany insists on Morsy visit, despite democracy fears".

The Christians that we have been serving continue to pray for their country, and have also sought to pray for the leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood to have wisdom and a desire for peace in the ongoing troubles and disagreements.

We'll see what happens this week while we await the 2nd round of voting on Saturday.

Pray for Egypt...

Connecticut: Punch in the Gut

As boys often wrestle and fight, "just being boys", sooner or later someone gets that unexpected "punch in the gut" -- you're not ready for it, it can knock the wind out of you, and leaves you gasping and trying to regain composure.

Friday morning's news from Sandy Hook Elementary was that type of moment.

Unexpected.  Connecticut? An Elementary school?  How many dead?  Kids as victims?

And just like that, America and the world are watching the disaster, trying to catch their breath and trying to "understand" an unspeakable tragedy.

Understanding will not lead to understanding.  Though reasons may surface and blame lain upon shooter and their "reasoning"--we will not be able to understand this.  It didn't make Columbine any better, and didn't allow for any greater healing to know the hurt and sadness inside the hearts of the perpetrators of that day--it only increased our sadness.  I saw Columbine within 5 years after their tragic day, and spoke with a neighbor of the school--5 years of information was not enough to heal his bewildered heart.

No, understanding will only lead to more questions--and that's not necessarily bad because those questions will create some important conversations and debates.  Not everyone will be right in those debates--we will need to pray for wisdom in the decisions that are made through such debates, and the ever important ability to disagree without being disagreeable so we don't spawn more regrettable moments.

The important thing is that we not jump right to the debates, but first allow time for mourning.  Parents with children should, like President Obama said, hug their own children a little tighter and stress their love for them.  And we not directly linked to the tragedy should pray for a community and families who are shattered at the most difficult of times of the year: mourning will be the carol of Newton this Christmas morning.

Pray for those families to know comfort and resurrection hope.  Pray for those teachers who bravely corralled and protected and calmed children behind locked doors and their own thumping hearts.  Pray for the children who survived and how in the world will they walk through those doors next month or in any day to come.

Pray for the one, yet unnamed child (we now know it is an adult female), who somehow "survived" the precision of this unspeakable horror that claimed the lives of everyone else in those rooms.  Though this child she will live, the weight of memory, sadness and fear cannot be measured.  Pray for that child her, his parents, his future classmates and community--and when the name is released, write that name somewhere to remind yourself to pray again and again.

When I was 16, a freshman in high school, I received word of my cousin's death by "foul play", though no one was ever charged or tried for his beating and drowning.  Every such tragic loss of young life by crime takes me back to my "punch in the gut".  Twenty-four years later, I'm still healing and still learning to love and live better--a couple months ago at my 40th birthday, I was reminded that he did not get to experience that milestone, and I mourned his loss again.

My prayer for the Newton community is that they will experience divine and necessary comfort in the days to come--and that through this unspeakable pain, they will learn to live and love better, as living testimonies of what those young lives could have done and offered for our world.

-----------------------------------------------------
Egypt note: the first day of referendum voting on the proposed Constitution continues here.  Things have been calm in our part of the city, though there are sporadic reports of violence throughout the country in relation to the voting.  I will post a different report focusing on this weekend's events tomorrow...

12:12, 12-12-12

Some odds and ends from the last repetitive moment in time and date until 01:01, 01-01-2101!

This date is getting some attention in the media, but a lot of attention in wedding chapels and among the superstitious.

As for this date in Egypt, those Egyptians abroad will be able to vote today.  Demonstrations, both for and against President Morsi and the pending referendum on the proposed Constitution, took place throughout the country yesterday.  There are warnings against Muslim imams using the pulpits to direct voting. And, there remain several question marks for those who find themselves against Morsi, the Constitution, or both--those in opposition are divided on whether to vote "no" on Saturday, or to boycott the referendum.  This type of indecision is obviously not good, and if there's a resounding victory for the Constitution on Saturday, this will likely only strengthen the Islamist group's "we're the majority" thinking and future actions.  Here's a brief video clip from Al Jazeera showing scenes of yesterday's protests...




Anyone know a baby who is to be born today???
Happy Birthday Frank Sinatra -- Frank would be 97 years old (born 1915), but his voice and style are definitely the definition of iconic.  Here's my favorite Frank song -- though I know that many may pick "My Way," this is a timeless piece...



Our first "Merry Christmas" greeting came from our Muslim friend and Sinatra-loving taxi driver, Adel.

We'vee decorated for Christmas and we're beginning to see a few Christmas season things around.  Stores here carry some decorations--we had to look around before we found things that we like and could use in decorating an old, fake tree that was here in the villas storage.  We only brought our stockings and one, tiny, self-contained Nativity from back home.   It's nice not hearing all the cheesy-pop contemporary "holiday" music in every store, though we miss hearing our own holiday favorites.  We are using Christmas carols as a teaching series during Advent with the CCF, and we have several special services/events coming up.  Grace will be playing with the band or jazz band during pickup time today to add some holiday cheer through their school yard.   We were blessed by one of our support churches back in the states who sent us a large envelope full of Christmas cards and colored-Christmas sheets from their kids ministry -- Thanks Liberty Street -- they'll all be going up on our wall to help it feel a bit more like Christmas around here.

Christmas shopping is harder than I thought it would be.  There's always a bit of a challenge in finding quality stuff, at a decent price, and nothing's all in the same store (or the same part of town)--plus, our kids are getting to a bit of challenging age in that they're not really wanting toys anymore, as much as gadgets, nice clothes, and anything else really expensive.  So, tempering expectations become the holiday teaching moments :)  We know, we know--Christmas isn't about the gifts you give or get--it's about the greatest gift given in Jesus and the grace he continues to give; but, we like to give to our children and we like to show love through gifts.  So, we have to work a bit harder and more creatively on this end.


Christmas is great--and, we get to celebrate it twice here in Egypt with New Year's thrown in between. We're looking forward to the break, but there's a lot that can happen, as well as a lot of work, between now and then...

More Tuesday Demonstrations

As the day begins in Cairo, the city braces for competing demonstrations with competing messages.

This Al Jazeera clip references how the Presidential Palace, scene of thousands of protestors in the past several weeks, has braced itself by erecting brick walls that are now fresh with their own graffiti markings similar to those that filled Tahrir during the January 25, 2011 Revolution.



Cairo city schools have closed (we're not sure about international schools--ours here in Maadi are still open).  The military is bracing in squares and around public buildings.

Last night, protestors who have been staging a sit-in in Tahrir Square for the past several weeks were attacked--reports of pellet fire, molotov cocktails, and thrown rocks by small group of unknown assailants.  Twitter feeds lit up with the news last night as panic filled the Square for several minutes.

Meanwhile, former presidential candidate Abu Ismail did not take his followers to the Presidential Palace as previously threatened, but instead staged a sit-in of their own at Media Production City to protest certain programs and hosts that they feel have been insulting to President Morsi or Islam.

The Salafi Nour Party will join the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist forces in demonstrations in Cairo today to support President Morsi and the Constitution referendum scheduled for Saturday.

There are reports of continued demonstrations by opposition groups today as well.  As the referendum date looms, the opposition has conflicting reports as to their response; some desire to continue to protest and to not vote in the upcoming referendum, while others are planning to vote "no" not just as a rejection to the Constitution draft but also to the current government.  As mentioned in the video above, many young people are simply advocating a removal of President Morsi, as they similarly sought the removal of Mubarak.

There are multiple complaints as to how the referendum is progressing; the date of foreign voting was delayed while international Egyptian diplomats refused to oversee the referendum, the traveling citizens list was not updated and so many Egyptians are expressing their disenfranchisement on this important document, the army is being brought in to oversee the security of the referendum, the courts role is still uncertain, and we've read some media members' reports that they will not be allowed to observe the voting or counting process.

And the Morsi government continues in making late night decisions and announcements while many sleep.  On Sunday afternoon, many of the revolutionary "Tweeters" that we have been following were expressing dissatisfaction with the multiple tax increases that were to go in effect Monday morning as a part of an agreement with the IMF for loan funding.  The government had made this deal, but had failed to announce everything properly and word was beginning to leak out--huge tax increases were to begin at a critical and unpopular time for the President and this was adding fuel to the fire of the discontent.  So, after midnight, the decision was made to not follow through on the tax increases--this created it's own unique share of questions on the effectiveness and order of the Presidency.

While the Morsi-led government attempts to stay the course, the opposition group may lack that unity of commitment.  If the referendum does go through, and the opposition is divided from protesting or voting no, they will surely lack the votes they need to defeat the proposed Constitution.  Then, the Islamists will have a case for a "majority"* voted President and Constitution.

The "majority" is in quotes and with an asterisk because you have to keep the numbers in mind when you remember the election that led to President Morsi's defeat of Shafiq.  This excellent post by Sarah Wali that we retweeted yesterday helps remind why President Morsi needed to work harder at building bridges and developing consensus--instead, his government has spent time this week building walls.

Thank you for your continued interest and prayers for Egypt...

Compromise?

The following Al Jazeera clip gives a good summary of last night's events...



The "National Dialogue" on Saturday afternoon was a time set by President Morsi in his speech Thursday night for leaders of all parties to communicate their thoughts and desires with him.  The participants included representatives of a few parties--by some reports, they were all Islamist parties including the Muslim Brotherhood.  President Morsi attended for the first 30 minutes, and then in an effort to appear neutral, withdrew from the meeting.

As the video clip above describes, this dialogue group recommended the withdrawal of the controversial powers afforded to the President through his Constitutional Declaration that gave Morsi unprecedented powers at the end of November; however, the dialogue group reaffirmed the equally controversial provision that calls for a retrial of Mubarak-regime figures accused of deaths during the January 25 revolution and other crimes (these had already faced their hearing and sentencing).

And, these parties encouraged Morsi to keep the date of the referendum on the proposed Constitution.

This is the heart of the matter from the minds of the opposition, not just its leaders, but also the tens of thousands that have been gathering at Tahrir, the Presidential Palace, and at city centers throughout the country.  Why?

#1 - the now withdrawn Constitutional Declaration by the President kept the courts from making a decision on the embattled Constituent Assembly that created the document, and then allowed them to "railroad" through what the opposition believes to be an inherently flawed Constitution.  Merely withdrawing the Declaration that led to this point of larger outrage is not enough--the damage, they say,  from the President's powers has been done, even if it prevents further damage.  This is why the opposition leaders would not agree to participate in a "national dialogue" without President Morsi first withdrawing his new powers AND secondly, at least delaying the referendum, if not withdrawing the Constitution proposal altogether.

#2 - the Constitution proposal (large, contradictory, and full of vague language), in the minds of many of the opposition, provide the way for an Islamic state.  The following CNN clip I posted yesterday references this point about 1/2 way interview (5:25); also this article makes similar points "Why the Salafis..." (also referenced previously on the blog) as well and makes similar points.  Though the opposition knows that it has a lot of favor and the strength of numbers at this time, the Islamic vote is much stronger organized and directed, and a vote could be so narrow a margin that it could go either way.  Islamist parties may be thinking they have the numbers to get this through now, and so don't delay and give the opposition any more time to organize or gain any more "fuel for their fire'.




So tensions remain, and violence is threatened.
Yet, despite the following speech clip from President Morsi stating that he will not stand for violence...



...former presidential candidate Abu Ismail (a leading Islamist candidate before he was disqualified) called for his followers to help him break up the demonstration if any protestors remain at the Presidential Palace past sometime today, Sunday, December 9.

Will President Morsi or someone in the government confront Abu Ismail before he follows through?  Or will this public threat remain uncontested until it is too late?


Less than a week from now, the referendum appears to be scheduled to take place.  We will wait and see what happens...

Not What They Wanted to Hear

The Friday response (at the Presidential Palace) to President Morsi's Thursday night speech
-- this picture (seen on Al Jazeera, Reuters, and others)
was taken early, long before the rest showed up!
Large gatherings also took place in Tahrir, and in cities throughout Egypt.

Thursday evening's national address by President Morsi was not what the opposition wanted to hear.

In fact, it may have been just the opposite.

Here's a CNN arabic-politics "expert" talking about what he calls the "schizophrenic" speech:



In the analysis above, the commentator points out that the President went from weak possible concessions, and into sharp confrontation (there is interesting discussion of the Sharia-issues in the Constitution draft as well).

But back to the speech--some note that there were more similarities to dictator-like Mubarak that were even more disconcerting.  Arab-American journalist Sarah Wali points out visual and verbal similarities between Mubarak and Morsi that would subconsciously set off alarm bells in the minds of the Egyptian people -- she says, "Images stick with people.  While they may not know how or why something looks familiar, their subconscious will trigger a very negative feeling.  By only changing the backdrop from blue (tranquility and peace) to red (anger and authority), President Morsi seems to be showing more force than his predecessor."

(Though our translation was choppy as we listened through a CNN live-stream, we thought it was just a poor translator--Sarah Wali also points out that Morsi just seemed to be making up language as he went through his speech that left her and several other Egyptian-Arabic speakers scratching their heads.)

Beyond the visuals, the tone of voice, the licking his fingers, and the strange words, the content of Morsi's speech was not well-received.  He used language about "protecting legitimacy" and "holding the violent protestors" accountable, calling such people "terrorists" while promising to find the financiers of such activity--yet he framed all of these statements against the opposition and did not mention his own supporters as having any responsibility in the days of violent clashes.

He said he was willing to talk--but announced the date of such talks as today, the afternoon of the day of international voting on the Constitution referendum (implying that even any legitimate argument would not receive consideration before the voting would begin)--this international voting was delayed until December 12 as hundreds of Egyptian diplomats refused to oversee the voting.  Morsi said he was willing to concede part of his Constitutional declaration that gave him sweeping powers and ignited outrage throughout the country, but he would not talk about the real issues of power that he still defends.

As this Al Jazeera clip reports, most opposition leaders have formally rejected the calls to dialogue:



Why have the opposition declined on the Presidency's willingness to "dialogue"?  First, several of Morsi's own advisors resigned, stating that they were not consulted on his Constitutional declaration, the quick draft of the proposed Constitution or its content, or in the response to protestors -- if Morsi is not willing to talk among his own staff, how can the opposition feel like they'll be taken seriously?  Further, opposition leaders Sabahi, El-Baradei, and Mousa and others are being investigated by Morsi's new Prosecutor General on grounds of espionage and the intent of overthrowing the government--the government may think you are criminals but they're inviting you to come in talk?

Now What?
Demonstrations continue.  Last night, outside the Presidential Palace and in Tahrir Square, thousands continued to gather or joined in the existing gatherings.  Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist groups continue to gather as well.  There are moments of tension between the two groups, and it was tense last night as the military allowed the Palace area protestors move inside the barricades and around the Palace--but not to enter.  Tweets from demonstrators at the Palace were sure MB would mobilize and attempt to beat them away again.  Fortunately the military is becoming vocal in the conflict between the two groups and seeking to prevent any further violence.

There is a glimmer of a possibility of delaying the referendum on the proposed Constitution; however, how will President Morsi feel about this possibility if his call for dialogue is universally snubbed, as it appears it will be?

As much as the opposition would like to see a delay in the referendum, I think we're just slowly going to wade through the next tense week until the 15th, the appointed date of the public referendum on the proposed Constitution.  As we have previously stated, the referendum is becoming vote not on the document, but about the leadership of Morsi--which is basically a vote on the direction of this country.  If the opposition intends to defeat the referendum and have a chance to call for a different direction, they will need to mobilize the masses to vote in one week's time because the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist groups will be very organized and intent of keeping their previously, and narrowly, won majority.

Demonstrations are taking place today; Twitter is much quieter in the past 12 hours than it had been in the previous 36.  We will continue to forward interesting pictures and Tweets that we follow from young Egyptians throughout the country.

And, we will continue to watch and pray that the Lord's peace overshadow and yet reveal Truth in the midst of great difficulty.

Tension Breakers

While we wait on President Morsi to give an important speech tonight, we have been checking the Al Jazeera, CNN, and local news sites for updates.

In the process, we came across this CNN Article by Catriona Davies, which reviewed the top viral videos of this year.  Of course, Gangnam Style was the most watched video this year, as it has already become the most watched YouTube video (sorry Biebs).  I wonder if all the views of parodies of Gangnam Style add up to a sizable percentage?

Anyway, the article also lists others.  Below are the three we laughed out all night; I've included the videos here, and below all three will be a few comments--for all the information and commentary, read the CNN article via the link above.

1. The Big Question...



2. Pride comes before the...



3. Oh Deer!


Notes:
The German guy is beyond lucky that he didn't break a tailbone, have a compression fracture, or be able to ever move his lower extremities ever again--after you get past the sheer divine providence that protected him, it's hard not to laugh hysterically ;) - you half expect Bob Saget to come in at the end and award the AFV grand prize.

The proposal is great--Titus wondered what would have happened if she said "no"; I wondered whether or not they did an encore at the wedding ceremony or reception.  Is the internet forever?  If so, then I'm sure that friends and family will be laughing at anniversary parties for years to come--and there are likely dozens more in the works looking to become a greater internet sensation impress the bride-to-be.

And, the Deer-lady -- Keli wonders if this was a prank (as she did about the Dublin girl below)--but I'm not sure; this lady may in fact believe that the DOT has put deer and drivers and unnecessary risk.  I wonder what she thinks of "Falling Rock" signs???

(special thanks to Zohare who shared the following Dublin girl recording with us on the CCF retreat)

Teetering on the Edge

On Tuesday, December 4, the growing opposition coalitions (against President Morsi, his decree, and the draft constitution) mobilized their Tahrir sit-in to become a day of "civil disobedience", resulting in media black outs, newspapers on strike, and tens of thousands joining the demonstration.  There is an upcoming referendum on the draft Constitution, the vote through which President Morsi and his supporters hope will end the demonstrations; however, the opposition has been opposed to the "dictatorial" power grab by President Morsi that allowed an embattled Constituent Assembly to suddenly pass a large, conflicting draft Constitution--so, they're pushing for a withdrawal of his power and a halt to the referendum on a "weak" Constitution that they say lacks "consensus".

Tuesday's demonstration was labeled "The Final Warning".  The demonstrations moved from Tahrir Square--now world famous as the hub of Egypt and the gathering point of the revolution that began on January 25, 2011--and moved to Heliopolis, a northeastern district of Cairo where the Presidential Palace is located.  The "Palace" is not a residence, but the official offices of the President of Egypt.
As you can see from the pictures, thousands moved through the streets, admittedly removing barricades so that the thousands could assemble as one outside the Palace for a peaceful sit-in.  As there have been throughout the last few years, angry youth looking for a fight were among the group and were causing some destructive behavior along the way; however, the crowd with the intent of making a statement rather than making trouble kept these away from pushing into the gates and they merely sat in protest.

The demonstration went throughout the night and into Wednesday morning, thousands sitting, chanting, tweeting, and marveling at the number committed to coming out in a statement together on an usually cold December night.  Mahmoud Salem, aka SandMonkey, is a popular writer, blogger, and political activist since the Revolution--he and thousands of young adults like him have been vocal and active throughout this opposition process; on Wednesday morning, this article "Tuesday is the New Friday" by him was published on Daily News Egypt--this is an interesting article chronicling the thoughts and opinions of one of these younger revolutionaries.


By Wednesday afternoon, responding to a Muslim Brotherhood call to "protect the legitimacy of the president" (according to this Egypt Independent article and eyewitness account), bus loads of Muslim Brotherhood supporters began arriving in Heliopolis near the Palace--countless witnesses described the scene through news interviews and tweets saying that the MB supporters were exiting the buses with clubs, sticks, and a variety of other "weapons" in hand.  The angry pro-Morsi forces disbursed through the crowds leading to clashes throughout the sit-in.

















Reports vary, but 100's have been injured badly while as many as 4 are dead.

Ironically, the Muslim Brotherhood, issued statements that have blamed the opposition leaders for the violence and the crisis outside the Palace gates:
Al Jazeera's report included this: "But the Muslim Brotherhood quickly turned around and blamed their opponents for the clashes. Gehad el-Haddad, a senior adviser to the Freedom and Justice Party, accused the three opposition leaders of 'inciting violence'.

'It's very sad to see opposition leaders such as ElBaradei, Hamdeen and Amr Moussa to resort to such levels of talk,' he told Al Jazeera. 'Such disrespect to the sanctity of peaceful protesting, within the context of democracy, is very alarming.'"

And...

Deputy head of the Freedom and Justice Party Essam al-Erian said the events “are not clashes between supporters and opponents, but rather skirmishes between the guardians of legitimacy and the revolution against the counterrevolutionary attempts to topple legitimacy.” (Egypt Independent)

Yet, despite this blame game by the pro-Morsi supporters and the Presidency, the President began suffering his own losses within his ranks.  According to this Al Arabiya article, as many as six of President Mori's appointed advisors and leaders have resigned--some of whom began resigning last week after his Presidential decree, but kept from making it public with hope of helping to resolve the crisis privately.

Screen shot from Al Arabiya website

Among these resignations is the resignation of Zaghloul al-Balshy, the secretary general of the high elections commission -- not only is he refusing to oversee the December 15 referendum on the draft Constitution, he is publicly calling on President Morsi to withdraw the referendum.

Egypt Independent quotes an Al Jazeera phone interview with one resigned advisor:

'Saif Abdel Fattah told Al-Jazeera on the phone that he has resigned in protest of the clashes that took place outside the presidential palace on Wednesday.

'The Muslim Brotherhood is a narrow-minded and mummified group not worthy of Egypt,' he said. 'I cannot bear seeing our young die.'  

'The young are the ones who made the revolution, and who are still paying the price,' he added. 'And the crisis could have been resolved, had the Brotherhood not been only working for its own interests.'

'I am going to unite the young and work with them,' he said."

Security forces were sent in to the Palace area to attempt to restore order.  Muslim Brotherhood leaders called for their supporters to leave the area to preserve the sanctity and symbolism of the Presidential Palace.  Further, the Muslim Brotherhood have called for yet another "million man march" (location to be determined) to demonstrate that they have the larger number of supporters and to contradict the photos that circulated worldwide on Tuesday evening.

CNN now reports that President Morsi will address the nation sometime today, Thursday, August 6 about this growing crisis.

It is not certain what he will say, but I am certain of the Old Testament Proverb: "The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit." (18:21)

In a country teetering on the edge of turmoil and ongoing violent crisis, he will need to choose his words carefully.


Thank you for your ongoing interest and prayers for Egypt...